Wednesday, July 18, 2012

Nats come back twice to win a wild one

Photo courtesy of US-Presswire

The 2012 Washington Nationals just will not go down without a fight. After losing the lead on a blown save in the ninth and twice being one out from defeat, the Nats beat the Mets 5-4 on a wild pitch by Pedro Beato that brought Ryan Zimmerman home for the walk-off win.

The victory was their second of the season on a game-ending wild pitch, but given the lead changes it may have been their most exciting win all year.

“That’s my kind of ballgame,” manager Davey Johnson said. “I’ve said it a hundred times, the makeup on this ballclub is off the charts. There’s no give-up, they are all competitive.”

The Nats rallied to tie the game in the tenth after catcher Jhonatan Solano led off with a single. Bryce Harper then belted a 1-0 slider off Tim Byrdak, a line drive that flew over Scott Hairston’s head and bounced off the wall. Solano scored to make it 4-4 and Harper broke up a David Wright tag attempt on a head-first slide to land safely at third.

The Mets then intentionally walked Zimmerman and Ian Desmond to get Tyler Moore to the plate. Moore took the wild pitch on a 1-2 count against Beato to let Zimmerman come home.

“I'm trying to make him hurry up, tell him come on and score,” Moore said. “It was going on long enough. I'm just glad we got a run across.”

“I didn't know it got away at first because he was kind of blocking me with the angle but it hit the dirt pretty hard and it bounced up on him. I'm just glad it got away from him enough where we could score.”

This one takes the cake for me as the most memorable game of the year so far and probably better than Ramos' walk-off HR last year against Seattle because of the fact we are in a pennant race. Huge win. I realize they all count the same in the W-L column, but this was a BIG one. Wish Detwiler could have got the win...and don't agree with the decision to pull him, but that is Davey's philosophy and it is not going to change. Seems to me that if you continue to use 3 or more pitchers every night, the odds of one of them not having it are greater...just my opinion.

The rookies go 5 for 14, getting 5 of the Nats 9 hits, and collectively hit for the cycle:

Solano - 1bLombo - 2bHarp - 3bTyMo - HR

And the winning rally starts with 3 of them - Solano 1b, Lombo perfect SB, and HARP'S 3B to tie the game - and ends with TyMo intimidating the Mets' staff into throwing him a diet of breaking balls until they throw one of them away. Everyone in the league must now know throwing that kid a FB is the BB equivalent of Russian Roulette.

Best moment of the night, though, was seeing Danny fight through 7 curve balls, the kind we have seen him K on, all year long, before delivering that clutch, 2-out, 2-strike rope to center to tie the game in the bottom of the 9th. He now has 4 LH hits in just 2 games.

Detwiler hit 95 on the gun last night. Easily his most impressive performance this season.

Chase, the Mets did not walk Zimmerman and Desmond to pitch to Tyler Moore. They walked them to pitch to Adam LaRoche, who hit into the force out at the plate, and was very fortunate that the Mets didn't turn a double play. Then Tyler Moore came up and we got the wild pitch.Fear and Ignorance, I sure am glad that you are not our manager.Our bullpen will blow a save, or two, but Johnson has managed this staff to not only incredible stats, but also to the best record in the NL. It was a one run game on a 100 degree night and.Det has a history of melting down after six or seven innings and we have a very good bullpen. Clippard made a couple of bad pitches. It happens, but not very often.

I'm wondering what happened to the occaisional slider that T-Clip used to throw every now and then. Seems like one very other batter would be enough to plant the thought and make him more than a two pitch closer.

Seamhead: I think the Mets would have walked the next two guys no matter who was up next, once Harper reached 3rd with just one out. This put them in a position to get the force at home and a possible double play. It was the right move for them and we just caught a huge break when they could not turn the double play. Still excited about seeing such a great game and seeing so many of our youngsters come through. I did not read through the game comments but one "old guy" who absolutely made a difference was DeRosa. How many steals does he have this year? Was that Davey's call or did he go on his own. Stealing against a left-hander as well. If he is not on 2nd, he does not score that tying run in the 9th.

sjm, I agree that they would have walked the next two guys but my point was that ADR's ground out wasn't mentioned. BTW, I question not pitching to Desmond, but it's easy to question things from where I'm sitting! Great game, great win.Also, I just Googled 2012 MLB preseason predictions. Not one poll had the Nats finishing higher then 3rd place, not even NI's fearless leader. Most picked the Phillies to win the East. I know that it ain't over until it's over, but so much for expert predictions.GYFNG!!!

Seamhead - agree with you on not pitching to Desmond. He had not swung a bat in quite some time but I guess they felt the force at home was a more solid play.

speaking of predictions. I am one who felt 85-87 wins would be a fine season and was secretly hoping to be fighting for a playoff spot in Sept. So happy I have no idea what I am talking about when it comes to predictions.Will any of us be happy with 90 wins? Just asking?

Clippard made a couple of bad pitches. It happens, but not very often.

Depends how you define "not very often." Clippard has had a bad outing three of the last four times he's appeared. His wild pitch lost the Colorado game just before the ASB. Sunday in Miami he came in in a non-save situation and loaded the bases with a single and two four-pitch walks before wriggling out of the jam. Then he melted down last night.

A few weeks ago there were a lot of people saying Clippard had proven himself as a closer and earned the job even when Storen gets back. Not so fast. A big part of being a closer is being able to put a bad outing in the rear view mirror and come back strong. We haven't seen that from Clippard yet.

I couldn't make it last night, but the rest of my family did, including my daughter-the-new-17-year-Nats-fan. Needless to say, she had an unbelievably great time. She called it "the craziest game she's ever seen".

Last night I invented some new curse words and most were directed a Clipp. My gentleman that sits next to me didn't know I cursed like a sailor, so my cover is blown (we have been to like 15 games together, and I haven't let loose like that at any game because we have been winning)

I know it's only 1 game and he as been lights out, but I was so disappointed that Det's best performance of the year was wasted.

About the stolen bases -- I think in general, part of the Nats identity is starting to be the smart, timely ripped base or taking the extra base. I don't think taking the extra base is a stat, but if it was, I think the Nats would have it locked up. The base running is just very heads up and it's not just Bryce. I feel that Jayson Werth started it last year and it has grown within the team. It looks like they are always on their toes and looking for just the right situation. I seems like there have been a lot of games where the base running, taking the extra base or the timely steal has had an impact. I love this about the Nats and you never know what little things will have an impact. Now for the bad thought of the morning -- after Detweiler's performance last night - what about Wang? Really.

I just had to go back and read the game thread just for kicks and it cracked me up. With all the back-and-forth, UP posts were mixed in with DOWNER posts (read: mick's), but the post of the night should go to Nattering Nat:

I was getting so stressed out, I kept closing my computer in surrender, pacing, then opening it up again. Finally closed it and went to bed. But coudn't stand it any longer and put the radio on "sleep" for 30 minutes thinking, if they don't win this in 30 I HAVE to sleep. They did it in 15.

I know I say this a lot, but listening to Charlie and Dave for this game was such a treat. I felt like a little kid - lying in bed, lights out, tense game on the radio, C&D calling it, then winning like we did. It has to be one of the signature games of the year for me.

I think everyone should lay off Clip; without him this year we are nowhere. Every closer goes through a tough patch. Clip has been teetering for a couple of weeks and he finally blew up; it happens. I'l take my chances with Clip any day.

What a game!! Just found out my daughter tweeted to her friends last night "Listening to my Mom watch the #Nats game in the other room sounds borderline like an exorcism".What can I say? I got into the game. I just told my daughter it's a good thing I wasn't there. Then she'd really see something to tweet about. :)

Michele-- ditto here. I went with my brother who just got back from Mongolia (he's retired) and left after the 8th as he almost fell asleep from jetlag. So he only saw Game 1, the pitchers' duel, and missed Game 2, the see-saw.

I was ready to leave after MGonz's flub in the top of the 10th but remembered what may have been the even crazier Harper walk-off single game against the Mets in early June -- remember when we came back three times in five innings?

One thing I noticed at the game that I didn't see pointed out because it didn't seem to have been shown on the TV broadcast is that on his triple, Harper ran right through Bo's stop sign that was unmistakeably up from the time he rounded second! The thing I need to look at the replay again to see is if Harper, rounding second, saw where the cutoff man was positioning himself, because his route to third seemed calculated to be right in line with the throw, which looked like it bounced off Harp. Did anyone else see the details of that play? Seems like Harper may have been running with calculating abandon rather than the "reckless abandon" that Carp described at the time.

JD.. not pouncing on Clipp (he has been a stud and he can't be perfect every time -although it would be nice), just really disappointed for Det. Det has had a couple of good games and a couple of bad games. Last night was a gem for him (and it better not just be a tease - would like more of those outings)

Michele -- Det always seems to do better on long rest -- from last night's evidence (after having last pitched July 5 vs. SF), the longer the better. Remember his solid outings last September after 6 and 7 days rest? He seems the one guy in the Nats' rotation who would benefit from a 6-man rotation (NOT proposing, just observing).

I do not like to see Harper running through a stop, if he did; that said, going to third won the game. If he gets thrown out, the game is still tied, and the inning is still not over--he'd have made the second out at third. It puts heavy pressure on the defense to make a play to get him at third, and that alone nearly got the run in, as the throw hit him and almost went out of play. That's the kind of play Ozzie meant when he says he likes Bryce.

1. Anytime the Nats win Angel Hernandez has the plate I count as a blessing. He screws up more games than any umpire I've seen. He did it again last night when he started squeezing the pitchers at the end.

2. I blame Valdespin's HR equally on Flores and Clippard. As FP pointed out, the 0-2 fastball was supposed to be elevated, but instead was in the dirt. When you throw like Clippard, mostly fastballs and change-ups, you need to change the batter's eye level at some point. He should have come back with an elevated fastball, rather than another low change-up. That was a brain freeze by both members of the battery.

3. Collins did not pitch to Desmond for this reason: the best way for the Mets to get out the inning was with a double play. Of Desmond and Laroche, the less likely to GIDP is Desmond because of his speed. It also would have been pretty gutsy to lay the infield back with runners on 1st and 3rd hoping for a DP. He had walk to Desmond there.

sec3, I'm pretty sure that MicheleS doesn't owe me a coke, as she'd originally posted a link to an mlb.com story on the bat prank in last night's game thread. But thanks for having my back. Maybe that blogger owes her a coke, though. :-) Also, you're welcome on the ump item.

Steady -- Great catch on Harper running through the stop sign last night. Gives a whole new perspective on the end of the game, because as Sofa says, it really set up the walkoff -- and it meant that we won the game with Desi not having to swing the bat -- no small thing that.

Bo Porter's coaching of the bases remains a concern. It's a good thing Harper blew through his stop sign. If he had stopped, the Mets would have walked Zim and had only to deal with an injured Desmond and Laroche. Additionally of course, the wild pitch would have been less meaningful. Porter will cost them a game or two at some point. It's inevitable.

been to the last two comback home games, and happy to sit in the heat to watch a hot team. glad desi didnt have to swing to make a contribution. guessing this means, though, no DL - at least not retroactive. so if he has to go on DL, it's for the max time, right?

and as far as the comment last night about the anthem singer. ditto. ick

I'm sure Porter was playing it safe since the game was already tied and there was just one out. And Harper hit a rocket to the wall. But I'm surprised Porter didn't wave him on once the ball took that crazy carom past the RF.

Harper clearly made the right decision, which isn't surprising. That guy can play baseball. More and more he reminds me of the young Barry Bonds, with more hustle.

At the time, FP said Flores wanted the pitch up, but I saw him point into the ground with his mitt after the sign--I thought he wanted Clip to bounce it. Which is close to what he did, so I think--could be wrong, have to ask them to really know--he just didn't get it down enough. I agree the high fastball might have been a better call.

Marlins 9, Cubs 5: The Ozzie returns to Chicago. This was fun: Cubs fans booed him during a pitching change in the eighth inning. So Guillen pointed toward his ring finger, telling the Wrigley faithful that unlike the Cubbies, he has a World Series ring. God, I love Ozzie sometimes. Carlos Lee had a grand slam in a five-run fifth inning for the Fish.

Also, from the Rizzo Show today (on 106.7) Rizzo knew about the bat prank and wouldn't have let it happen except that it was LaRoche. If ALR thought it was OK, it was OK. I thought that was interesting on a lot of levels.

Nolan, Schneider and Bunker were all done as MLB pitchers by the age of 25. Gooden's last decent season was at the age of 25. Feller pitched a long time, had a three year "holiday" during the war, and had lost his fastball by the time he was 27. Only Bender, pitching in the dead ball era, has a longish career.

Sofa:I don't want Tab, dammit. I'm a Diet Pepsi man!----------Watch your language, young fella; this is a family establishment. If you want diet Pepsi, I'll be happy to order it...take about 2 weeks....

Harper couldn't have taken home on the overthrow to third: 1) David Wright was on top of him and was taking his sweet time getting off; 2) someone (pitcher?) had backed up the throw and got to it fairly quickly. Harper would've been out

Thanks for the link to the Mets fans' suffering NL. Fabulous. Here's my favorite part --

"I have to say: I thought of you while I was watching it and figured you had been suffering through it. But, man, watching Bryce Harper step up there and lace that triple was something. Yes, the Mets lose in that instance, but baseball wins."

Bryce love all over the place. I noted also that there was great dissatisfaction with their manager's use of the relievers and their catcher's failure to block the wild pitch in the dirt. Sound familiar?

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About the Author

Mark Zuckerman has covered the Nationals since the franchise arrived in D.C. He's been a member of the Baseball Writers' Association of America since 2001 and is a Hall of Fame voter. Email mzuckerman@comcastsportsnet.com.